Fire and Ice
by Jolly-Fandom
Summary: Ever since that day in Cheagle Woods, Ion hasn't been able to shake the warmth of Luke that melts his cold and fragile life, and reveals something new. Rated T for now, but it might go up to M. lukeXion
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Well here it is my first fanfiction. It took a long time to get here, but I just really thought that the lukeXion pairing deserved some more love. I'm mostly going to focus on Ion's point of view and maybe skip to Luke or another character from time to time. Also, I won't be sticking straight to the original story line, dialog, and etcetera, but I'm going to try my hardest to at least try to stick to the original . Anyway, enough of my rambling, on with the show.**

_{Fire and Ice} Chapter 1_

"Beautiful", is the first thought to cross my mind as we entered Keterburg. The entire town was covered in a thick, sparkling blanket of snow. The temperature was below freezing, but I didn't mind, I was mesmerized by the scene before me. I was shaken out of my daze by Anise, whom was tugging me along with the others.

"Wow, so this is Keterburg, huh?" I looked to the left to see Luke just as dazed as I was, only more mobile and responsive.

"Yup, one of the most popular tourist spots in all of Auldrant." said Guy as he flashed another one of his prize winning smiles. It certainly is a shame that Guy's phobia keeps him far away from women, he would have been an amusing ladies man, but perhaps that's a bad thing. I didn't have long to dwell on my thoughts as a soldier approached us.

"Halt. What business do you have here? You all look awfully suspicious…"

"We mean you no harm", of course jade would know how to handle a situation like this.

"We are simply travelers that had to make an emergency detour due to our ship being damaged." The soldier still looked skeptical, and I was almost afraid that he would respond with violence.

"Hmm, alright then, please repot to the governor. Maybe she may be able to help with the repairs."

"You're too kind" Jade said in his usual calm and collected voice. The soldier saluted and was on his way.

"The governor…perhaps we should have asked for directions." Natalia inquired.

"No need, I grew up here"

"Colonel, you used to live here?" said Anise, looking expectantly at Jade.

"Yes, but it was a long time ago." A look of nostalgia flashed across the colonel's face for a brief second. I would have missed it if I wasn't looking directly at the necromancer.

"Come along everyone, this weather is hard on old people like me" Jade said as he started to walk down the cobble stone road. Natalia and Tear giggled at the colonel's remark, while Luke rolled his eyes and started down the path. It's nice to see that everyone still has their humor.

* * *

I was quite surprised to find out the governor was actually Jade's sister, although I probably should have know considering my relationship with the Necromancer. The others were just as surprised as I was when they heard the news, Luke especially.

"Jade I never knew you had a sister!" His boisterous response earned a sigh from Tear.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude" Luke said sheepishly as he stared down at the expensive rug.

"No, it's quite alright." Jade's smirk still in place at the young noble's antics. After a short conversation with Nephry, we all headed towards the hotel to get some rest and wait for the repairs to be completed.

"Um, I'll be right back; I left something in Nephry's office" I turned to see Luke already walking towards the door. I didn't see Luke lose anything, and I was watching him the whole time.

"Then I'll come with you" Tear started to walk towards Luke. Hmm, I would like to come too…but I doubt Anise would allow that.

"No, its fine, and I'll be quick about it" Tear didn't look convinced.

"Fine, suit yourself" She walked briskly towards the receptionist. Luke gave her one last look before he headed back into the cold.

* * *

"Don't worry Anise, I'm just going out to get a bit of fresh air" The young puppet master was the only thing blocking me from sweet freedom. I really did appreciate Anise's efforts to protect me and keep me from harm, but right now it was quite the hindrance.

"Ion, you know one of the god generals could be just waiting around the corner to kidnap you again!"

"I know, but this is a public place full of lots of people, as long as I don't stray too far, they won't come after me." Anise pouted for a while longer until she relinquished a long sigh and stepped aside.

"Whatever, just remember if there's any trouble come straight to me" Our position momentarily reminded me of a mother lecturing her child. A smile bloomed on my face as I thought of Anise as a mother. The puppeteer looked puzzled at my sudden fit of giggles, but she just shook her head and opened the door for me.

"Don't take too long." I nodded as I walked out the door, and as soon as the door closed I sped to the elevator. I hope Luke hasn't made it to his room yet.

When the elevator doors opened I was relieved to see Luke walking into the hotel. I was about to approach him, but Jade beat me too it. Quickly, I scurried to hide before either of them could spot me. As I listened I caught bits and pieces of their conversation. Something about a fellow researcher that Jade tried to make a replica of. The news was a bit shocking; knowing that Jade would do such a thing, I guess we all have our own dark secrets.

Finally, their conversation seemed to have ended, so I waited for Jade to take his leave and then quietly approached.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?" He looked slightly startled; maybe I should have announced my presence.

"Uh…yeah, I found my…" He quickly searched his person for the "lost item". Luke's antics are truly amusing.

"My…hair tie?" He looked confused as he stared at the object. I tried to stifle my laughter as he held in his hand a worn out hair tie.

"You went searching for a hair tie?" I questioned. My amusement escalating as Luke finally sighed in defeat.

"What were you really doing, Luke?" He absentmindedly played with a stray piece of red hair, and looked anywhere but at me. Another giggle escaped my lips.

"I don't know, buying a gift for Tear?" Even though I knew it was a joke, that statement still extinguished all of the joy inside me, but I still held my cheery smile. He finally looked up at me. A big grin plastered on his face.

"Just kidding; it's a secret." Luke looked like he was about to retire to his room. I wanted to stop him. Maybe I can convince him to stay a while longer, maybe not. In the end, the unthinkable happened.

"Hey, Ion, do you want to take a walk with me?" Praise Lorelei!

"I'd love to, Luke." He turned and started walking towards the hotel's exit, expecting me to follow. My heart fluttered a bit as a hurried after him as he held the door for me. Not even the cold wintry air could snuff out the warmth blooming inside of my chest.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Well, here's the second part of fire and ice. Not much to say here except I don't own tales of the abyss.**

_{Chapter 2}_

Thankfully, Luke didn't notice the faint blush on my face. As we wandered through the streets of Keterburg, I wondered if Luke noticed anything at all. He had a dazed look on his face, as if in deep thought. I mentally berated myself for being too caught up in my school girlish emotions to notice my friend was troubled. As we neared an empty bench I tugged on Luke's sleeve to get his attention. He stopped and gazed at me in bewilderment.

"Is something wrong, Ion?"

"No, I was just thinking that it would be a good idea to take a rest" I said, pointing to the bench. Luke took the hint and plopped down in the middle of the bench, while I brushed a bit of snow off and gingerly sat down. He seemed a bit less dazed now that he was sitting down and I took that as my chance to see what was bothering the young noble.

"Luke" He twisted his body towards me to give me his full attention.

"Is there something on your mind?" He stared out in the distance for a while before he spoke.

"I was just thinking about Akzeriuth" I was afraid he was going to say that.

"I wonder, if I was never born, do you think that Akzeriuth would have fallen?" My expression turned solemn after hearing those words. I know that the others put a lot of blame on Luke for what happened in Akzeriuth, but to hear Luke say such depressing words.

"I think Akzeriuth would have fallen with or without you, Luke" I gently put my hand on his shoulder.

"But-"

"Think about it; in Yullia's score it was predestined that Akzeriuth would fall. You couldn't change that.

"I still could've saved the people" For a second, I thought Luke was going to have a mental break down, with all that's happen I wouldn't be surprised.

"Maybe then I wouldn't have lost the trust of my friends" He looked up at the sky, as if he was trying to find solace in the clouds. I couldn't take it anymore. I reached over and grabbed Luke's hand and laced my fingers through his. He turned his head and looked at me, and I returned his gaze with a smile.

"You still have my trust, Luke. You will always have my trust, and some day you will have the trust of the others as well." He gripped my hand, and gave me a genuine smile. It was breath taking.

"Thank you, Ion. I owe you one for cheering me up" Luke said, with that wonderful smile still in place.

"I'm always happy to help" I held his hand a little tighter.

* * *

I was disappointed when Luke let go of my hand when we continued walking, but just being with him was better than nothing. When we returned to the hotel Anise, Tear, and Natalia were waiting for us. The look on Luke's face showed his apprehension for the inevitable lecture he'll be getting once we get close enough to the trio of females. Hopefully, I can defuse the situation before it can get too out of hand.

On cue, the trio made a bee line to Luke and me, and formed a circle around us to prevent escape.

"Ion, where were you and why were you with him!" Anise pointed an accusatory finger at Luke, who could only look away from her seething gaze.

"Luke, you said that you would be quick! You were gone for over an hour!" Ah, Tear, always the punctual one.

"What if something happened to you two? Luke, you should be more careful" Natalia scolded. I felt bad for worrying them all, but I couldn't help but feel like it was worth it, and I did get to spend a moderate amount of time alone with Luke. Sadly, Luke wasn't fairing too well with all the accusations being thrown at him.

"I'm sorry I-"Luke started to say, but I cut him off.

"It was my idea" All eyes turned to me as I gave them my sweetest smile.

"I needed some fresh air and Luke offered to take me out on a walk" I turned my cheery gaze to Luke.

"Isn't that right?" He looked dumbfounded from my bold statement, even though it was pretty much true. Thankfully, he caught on.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you all earlier." The trio stared blankly at us both, but they seemed like they bought our little ruse. Tear was the first one to speak up.

"Um…okay, just tell us next time" She blushed a little before making her way to the elevator.

"I apologize also for my accusations." Natalia said quickly before also making her way towards the elevator. Anise was the only one that remained, and though she believed our story she still glared fiercely at Luke.

"Next time, Ion, I'll take you out for a walk." Knowing better than to argue I nodded my head and let the puppeteer guide me to the elevator. I tried to look back at Luke and tell him that I would see him later, but the words died in my throat when I saw his sad expression returning. The negative reception from earlier must be effecting him. I twisted out of Anise's grip and quickly scurried to Luke's side.

"Chin up, Luke" I whispered in his ear before returning to Anise. She pouted at me but I momentarily ignored her in favor of watching the grin that slowly spread across Luke's face.

* * *

"Something's up with Ion" Anise thought as she watched the Fon master gaze dreamily out the window. He's been like that for a while; ever since he returned from the cheagle woods. Ion has never been one to day dream or act all dopey, but here he is proving her long list of information about the Fon master, wrong. Well, at least he looks happy, a weird kind of happy. Maybe Ion's sick or something. She could always ask the colonel to take a look at him. Wait, no, the colonel would have noticed if there was anything wrong with Ion. Anise sighed as she slumped further into her chair.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. What if this was all Luke's fault? Ion looked dopier than usual once he got back from his walk. Hmm, the more she thought about it, Ion always looked dopey when Luke was around. What if he drugged Ion! No, Luke's too dumb for that. She kicked her feet in frustration. What the hell is wrong with Ion! She glanced over at Ion again and pouted. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello, again with another note. I was thinking of maybe making this a 20,000 word story. I'm not sure, but it's definitely going to be about 5,000 words. Hmm…well send me a review and tell me if you like it so far.**

_{Chapter 3}_

The next day Anise woke up earlier than usual. When I asked her about her unusual behavior she simply told me that she had business to attend to, and that Jade would be watching over me while she's gone. Again I'm reminded of Anise as a doting mother.

"Don't worry, Ion, I'll be back before you know it." I waved her off as she trudged down the hallway and closed the door after I was certain that she had left. As I walked towards the small table to my untouched breakfast I briefly wondered if I could convince Jade to switch places with Luke. No, Jade would never allow Luke of all people to watch over me. I picked up the small knife and start to smear apple jelly on a piece of toast. Maybe I can convince the colonel to switch places with Guy and then have Guy switch with Luke. Nibbling on the piece of toast, I shook my head lightly. That would be too suspicious. Why is spending time with Luke so difficult? Only Yullia knows…

* * *

Violently, she shut the book in her hands and reached for the next one.

"Come on! Where is it?" Anise grumbled as she poured through the text in her hands. She had been in the library for at least three hours, and she has yet to find the cure to Ion's "illness". Once again, she closed the book and was about to reach for another but decided against it. This was getting her nowhere. She rubbed her temples and looked outside the frosty window. Maybe Ion doesn't have an illness. Maybe he had some kind of condition. Anise stood up from her chair, and was about to head over to the librarian and ask her for a new book, when a voice stopped her.

"Anise, what are you doing here?" Tear asked, as she made her way over to the younger girl. Anise's eyes lit up as an idea struck her. I can just ask Tear! She's so smart; she's bound to know what's wrong with Ion!

"Hey, Tear, can I ask you a question" The young girl beamed.

"Um, sure. What is it?" Tear said as she blinked at the young puppeteer. Anise's expression turned serious.

"I have a friend who's been out of it lately."

"Oh?" Tear looked mildly amused.

"And who is this friend?"

"It's a secret!" Anise blurted. She didn't want anyone to know about Ion's condition. As the Fon master guardian, it's her job to take care of him, not anyone else.

"So, why is it a big deal?" Tear wasn't phased by her outburst.

"It's weird. He sighs a lot, always has his head in the clouds, and it's hard to get his attention." Anise was so caught up in her rant she didn't notice that she let the truth slip.

Tear smirked as she immediately figured out that Anise's friend was the Fon master.

"Perhaps he's thinking about someone special?" Tear questioned. Anise scoffed at her remark.

"As if! He- My friend would never fall for any one." During the time she spent serving as the Fon master's guardian, Ion has never showed any romantic interest in anyone. Anise laughed at the idea.

"Does your friend act this way around anyone in particular? Maybe when you two are alone?" Tear suggested with a very uncharacteristic eye brow wiggle. Anise wasn't dumb, she caught on immediately. Ion, having a crush on her didn't seem right. They were close friends, but nothing more. However, now that Anise thought about it, there was one person that did have a strange effect on Ion. A look of pure horror crossed her face.

"I have to go, Tear. Thanks for your help!" Anise shouted to Tear as she dashed out of the library. Tear just smirked and thought about how cute Ion and Anise would be together; if they could be together.

* * *

Panting, Anise slid down the wall she was currently propped up on and tried to catch her breath. She had run all the way from the library to the hotel, now her legs felt like jelly. Ion has a crush on LUKE! This so couldn't be happening. She would understand Guy or maybe even the colonel, but why that jerk? He's selfish and rude; he hasn't done anything to gain the Fon master's affection. Anise wanted to deny it all. She wrapped her arms around her legs and put her head down. The worst part is that she could never let a relationship between them happen. Being the Fon master means to stay pure and celibate, so definitely no dating. Of course Ion had to know that, right? She didn't want to go back to the hotel room. Going back would mean that she would have to face Ion and his…feelings for Luke. The very thought disgusted her. Slowly, she picked herself off the ground and walked to the hotel door. As she walked into the warm hotel she could feel her body thawing from the cold. Maybe Ion really didn't like Luke. What if she was wrong? With that one cheerful thought, she trudged to the elevator and pushed the up button.

* * *

She was sure taking a long time. Although, I shouldn't complain after the stunt I pulled yesterday. Jade sat in the same position as when he first came into the room four hours ago. He had a book in his lap, while he stared intensely at its continents. When the necromancer arrived, we spoke briefly about Anise's strange behavior before we both fell into silence. I didn't really mind. It gave me some time to think. We both jumped in surprise when Anise burst through the door.

"I'm back! Colonel, thanks for watching Ion, you can go now" She practically sang. Jade shut his book and stood up to leave"

"Looks like I've been relieved of duty" Jade said as he smirked in my direction. He briefly said his goodbyes and exited the room; that's when Anise turned on me.

"Ion, we need to talk" Her voice was unusually grim, did something happen? Worry overtook my expression.

"Okay, Anise. What is it you want talk to me about?" I was prepared for whatever question she could throw at me. She hesitated and then spoke in almost a whisper.

"Do you…like Luke?" Except for that; I was prepared for anything but that. I started to panic a little on the inside. How did she find out? I thought I hid it from her, from everyone, well. Obviously, I was wrong.

"Whatever do you mean, Anise" I tried to play innocent, but Anise didn't seem to buy it.

"You know what I mean! Do you care for Luke?" She glared at me, silently daring me to lie to her. She knew I couldn't I was bound by oath not to; however, I could still bend the truth a little.

"I love and care for ever living creature in Auldrant. You know that Anise." My smile never wavering. This seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Anise started to stomp her feet in frustration.

"You're dodging the question! You have romantic feeling for Luke, yes or no?" She got me there. Slowly, I let my smile slip and looked seriously at her.

"Yes…I do." Anise looked at me sympathetically.

"Anise, please don't tell anyone." I said as I clutched her hand like a life line. No one can find out about this. I know my place and position; I'm not allowed to have "special" relationships. If any of the officials in Daath were to find out about this…

"Ion, you know that…you're not allowed to…" She looked me dead in the eye. I wanted to turn away from her piercing gaze.

"Please, Anise, just let me be selfish this onetime" I could feel tears pricking at my eyes. She let go of my hand and turned away from me.

"Ion, it's forbidden. Just forget-"I spun her around and gripped her soldiers.

"Anise, please" She looked surprised at my unusual hostility.

"I need this. Just this one thing" The tears ran freely down my face now, and showed no signs of stopping. She held me close to her and rubbed circles in my back to get me to calm down. The shock still evident on her face.

"Please, Anise." She pulled away a little and wiped some of the tears from my eyes.

"If it means that much to you…I'll help, but only because you're my friend, Ion" I sighed in relief and buried my head into her shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Anise. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She patted my back as we held our embrace for a while longer.

* * *

"Well, what an interesting outcome." Jade thought as he quietly walked away from the door. Eavesdropping isn't usually one of his hobbies, but he felt as if the situation demanded it. How else was he supposed to figure out why Anise was acting so unusual? However, he never expected the Fon master, of all people, to have feelings for Luke. Perhaps Tear, but that was another story. He shook his head lightly. They do say that opposites attract, and on top of that they're both young. Maybe it's just a phase, but it's not like you're worried about it. The Fon master can like whoever he chooses, even if it's a spoiled little noble. That was the last thought that crossed Jade's mind as he walked into his hotel room.

* * *

Today had certainly been a long day. Anise had no idea that Ion felt so strongly for Luke that he would cry about it. Now, she really felt mad at Luke for making Ion cry, even though it was kind of her fault. She turned over in her bed to see how the Fon master was doing. It was a bit dark in the room, but she could still make out the outline of the young boy. He seemed to have calmed down a bit. Now all that's left to do is to figure how she's supposed to go about this romance business. Honestly, she didn't know the first thing about getting two people together. She could always ask Tear again, but what if she got the wrong idea? Ugh, this is a problem for tomorrow. Anise took one last look at Ion before dozing off.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Wow, I got a review! I know that it's not much but I am a proud mama hen. Look at my little chick of a story, being recognized! Le sigh, they grow up so fast.**

_{Chapter 4}_

Waking up was a chore the next day. After my little break down in front of Anise, I didn't know how to approach the young puppeteer. I didn't mean to react so emotionally when Anise confronted me the other day, but I couldn't help it. When she said those dreaded words, I couldn't control myself. It felt like I was a cornered animal about to be taken away from its home, so I overreacted and cried like a child. On top of that I asked for her help with obtaining Luke's affection. What was I thinking? Never before have I actually sought to gain Luke's attention in a romantic way. Honestly, I was content just being around him. I guess it was a last resort kind of thing, but now I'm stuck with this situation. Calling off the whole thing was out of the question; Anise would never let me back down now.

So here I am, with flushed cheeks and Anise pacing back and forth in the room. We both woke up about an hour ago, and neither of us has yet to speak to the other. I wasn't speaking due to my immense embarrassment from my actions the other day, and Anise…well, I really don't know. After getting dressed, Anise started pacing for some reason, so I sat down and waited for her to finish; that was twenty minutes ago. Finally, she stopped and turned to me, her eyes ablaze with determination.

"I've got it!" She said, while pointing a finger at me.

"G-Got what, Anise?" I said while trying, and failing, not to stutter. I still felt uneasy around her.

"My plan! I call it, Ion's lovey dovey mission!" For a minute I gaped at her, and then shook my head; typical Anise.

"So, what is this plan?"

"First, we need to get Luke to notice you more." I'm surprised, that actually sounds pretty reasonable.

"Then what?"

"I don't know!" Well, at least she's trying.

"It doesn't matter, we're still on part one." She walked to my bed and sat down next to me.

"Now this is going to be hard, Luke's pretty thick headed so we'll probably have to do something drastic." I'm afraid to know what she's planning, but I asked her anyway.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked nervously. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Cross-dressing!" Oh, dear Yullia!

"Anise, I can't do that! What will the others think?"

"That you're cute?" She snickered a little, but this was far from funny.

"Anise!"

"Alright, we'll tell them that you're trying to help Guy get over his phobia." She can't be serious, cross-dressing? I know I wanted Luke's attention, but this seems like a bit much. Who would ever imagine the Fon master, cross-dressing? But still…

"Do you really think I can get Luke's attention?" I asked, the blush returning full force to my face. Anise grinned and patted my back reassuringly.

"Of course I do. You'll probably get the whole team's attention!" She laughed at her own comment while I hid my head in my knees.

* * *

After Anise's laughing fit was over, she took a trip to get us some breakfast. While we ate, we discussed what type of outfit I should wear. Anise seemed to really enjoy talking about this subject, it made me wonder if she has thought of this before. With breakfast finished, we cleaned up and headed out the door. It was brisk outside, but at least it stopped snowing. As we trudged through the snow, Anise examined the windows of each clothes store carefully. She said something about picking out the perfect outfit. We walked until our feet were numb from the snow, when Anise found the perfect store, claiming that it was cute enough.

I was relieved when we stepped into the warm store, and immediately found a comfortable place to sit. Anise flocked to the many racks of clothes, picking up one article of clothing only to put it back in favor of a better one. There were other girls Anise's age and older pouring through the many selections of clothes; I couldn't help thinking of how exhausting that must be. Suddenly, I felt glad that I had a limited wardrobe.

It felt like ages had gone by when Anise finally returned, when really it had probably only been an hour or so. I should have been helping her, but I didn't have a clue when it came to fashion.

She walked up to me with a satisfied smile on her face. Her hands were behind her back, so I am assuming that's where the outfit was; I prayed to Yullia that it wasn't too embarrassing.

"Oh, Ion, look what I got for you!" She sang. I braced myself for the worst.

"Tadaa!" She whipped out the object from behind her back. Hmm, I expected something worse than this. It was a light green sweater with a matching skirt.

"I also have these." She put the clothes on my lap and then walked over to another chair that had the rest of my outfit. When she came back she had a pair of white shoes in her hands and a white pair of thigh high stockings. To top it off, she had a white ribbon.

"Do you like it? I think it would look nice on you and above all, super cute!"

"This looks good, Anise. I don't think I'll mind too much if I have to wear this." I said while I studied the sweater, it felt really soft.

"You'll have to wear a white shirt under that sweater, but I think you already have one, so we're good." Still examining my new clothes, I nodded to show that I was paying attention.

"Alright, do you want me to go pay for these, or do you still want to look around?" I asked.

"I'm done looking, but do you want to change into your new clothes?" I thought for a minute, and nodded. I might as well try to get used to them. We gathered up all of the pieces of my outfit and headed over to the cashier. She was surprised to see me of all people here, but didn't ask any questions. After I paid for the clothes, I asked her if I could use one of her dressing rooms. Once she directed me to the nearest one, I went inside and began the task of…cross-dressing.

When I emerged from the changing room, I had my new attire on and my old clothes in a bag. Anise jumped up from her seat and began circling me.

"Not bad. I've out done myself." I walked over to a mirror to see for myself. Well, this was a little strange, I hardly recognized myself. I looked like, for a lack of better words, a girl, but surprisingly, I didn't feel uncomfortable. It felt like I was wearing my old clothes, but this time I had a really comfy sweater. If I keep any of these clothes I am definitely keeping this sweater.

"Well, what do you think?" I asked Anise as I twirled a little.

"You look like a really cute girl!" She grabbed my hand and started walking towards the front of the store.

"Now let's go win Luke's affection!" Anise cheered as she thrust her fist into the air. I imitated her, although with less gusto.

**TBC cliff hanger :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Ugh, this chapter was surprisingly hard! I meant to have it out sooner, but I dunno what happened. I was so excited to write this part, and then I didn't know how to write it. So as an apology, I'm going to have the next chapter up really soon. Like I will start writing it after I post this one up. Le sigh, forgive me!**

_{Chapter 5}_

This idea seemed a lot more appealing when I wasn't standing in front of the hotel entrance. Only moments ago I was strolling through the frosty streets with Anise, blissfully, and surprisingly, enjoying my new clothes. I wasn't thinking about how humiliating this whole endeavor could be until it was, literally, right in my face, and my whole body started to freeze up with dread. It's gotten to the point where Anise had to drag me into the hotel, while I dug my heels into the floor.

"Ion, come on! It's time to face the music!" Anise said over her shoulder as she tugged me into the elevator. This is really about to happen, isn't it?

I used my free hand to claw at the closing doors, until Anise smacked it away.

"Stop that!" She put a reassuring hand on my arm."You'll do fine. Just smile and look pretty. I'll do the talking." The doors finally opened to our floor. We stepped out of the elevator and headed to Luke and Guy's room. I tried to compose myself as best as I could; I do have some dignity. I said a silent prayer to Yullia while Anise knocked on the door.

"It's open." Guy said from the other side of the door. Anise gave me one quick smile and pushed the door wide open. Everyone was there.

At first, they were all silent. Perhaps, they had trouble believing what they were seeing at the moment, I know I would. Guy was the first to recover.

"Um, you look good, Ion." I mumbled my thanks to him while keeping my head down, a bright red blush covering my face.

"I'm glad you think so, Guy, because this is how we're going to get rid of your phobia!" Anise said enthusiastically.

"So, wait, this is about getting rid of Guy's phobia?" Tear asked.

"Exactly! Having Ion dress like a girl is bound to help Guy get over his fear!" Anise looked to the colonel for conformation. He shrugged his shoulders.

"…Sure, but even so, to go through such measures is a little bit… " He paused while he adjusted his glasses and then looked over at me.

"Extreme." At this point Luke seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking.

"Ion, are you okay with dressing like that?" Luke asked. Before I could answer, Anise beat me to it.

"He's fine with it! Ion would do anything for a friend!" She gave me a look that dared me to say otherwise, so I just nodded without verbally replying.

Now, Luke was openly gaping at me; I certainly do have his attention now.

"But he's the Fon master, isn't it undignified for him to be…um…out of uniform?" Natalia asked hesitantly.

"As long as he's not at any formal gatherings, I think it should be fine." Jade said. "Besides, it's just for the day, right Anise?" He looked pointedly at the young puppeteer.

"Boo, fine, just for a day." Anise said with her hands on her hips.

"You know, I'm having a hard time believing this is all just for Guy." Tear said. I really hope she didn't figure out our plan.

"I believe your right, Tear." Natalia said while she grinned at Anise.

"N-no! You're wrong! It'll work, you'll see!"Just when I thought the embarrassment was over, Anise started pushing me towards Guy. Which happened to be a really bad idea since I was, once again, digging my heels into the floor. Needless to say, I tripped and almost fell flat on my face. Guy managed to catch me in time and put me back on my feet.

"Thank you, Guy, for catching me." I said while giving him a small smile.

"No problem." He ruffled my hair a little.

"Wow, I guess it does work." Luke said.

"See? I was right." But, you didn't have to push me, Anise…

"I really don't think that proved anything, Guy knows that Ion's a boy." Tear said.

"I think that Anise just wanted to see Ion cross-dress." Natalia said as she giggled into her hand.

"Shame on you, Anise for tricking the Fon master" Jade said while trying to cover up his faint chuckles.

"Hey, it's not like I forced him!" Anise shouted.

"Ion, you wanted to dress like that?" Luke asked curiously.

"No! I-well, you see I-"I must sound foolish right now.

"Now, Now, let's settle down. How about we get back to our meeting? We we're discussing our plans once the ship is fixed." Jade interjected.

As the meeting dragged on, I noticed that everyone's, except Jade's, eyes would dart over to me every once and a while, and Tear and Natalia had small smiles on their faces as they mumbled about how adorable I looked. Yes, this was most definitely the most embarrassing day of my life, thank you, Anise.

* * *

After, the meeting was over; we all started to file out of the room. We didn't talk about much, just that the ship would be repaired in three days and that we should all prepare. As I followed Anise out of the room, I felt someone tap my shoulder. It was Luke.

"I just thought that I should make sure you were all right after what happened back there. He said.

"I'm fine, it's just the attention was a little…much." I responded with a light blush slowly returning to my face. He grinned.

"I could tell. You were as red as a tomato." Darn, I was hoping he wouldn't notice that.

"Yeah…it was a little embarrassing." I started to tilt my head down to cover up my growing blush, but he poked my forehead.

"Hey, I just wanted you to know that it's okay if you wanted to dress like a girl. I won't judge you." I definitely did not want to dress like a girl, but I appreciate the sentiment.

"Thank you, Luke." He gave me another one of his dazzling smiles.

"What are friends for?" And with that, he returned to his room to speak to Guy. Maybe cross dressing really was worth all of this drama.

When Anise and I returned to our room, I immediately plopped down on my bed, and hugged a pillow to my chest.

"Someone's happy." Anise said. She was right. I felt so giddy, my cheeks hurt from the huge smile on my face.

"Yes, I am! Thank you, Anise."

"What are friends for?" She quoted from Luke, while she looked at me slyly, but not even that could get me down. I got Luke's attention; although in a weird way, I got him to look at me as more than just the Fon master. He called me his friend, and that meant more to me than anything else in that moment.

"So, what's next, Anise?" I asked her, while I bounced on the bed a little.

"Next? Hmm…I don't really know. I still didn't get that far." She said as she hopped on her bed.

"Maybe, dinner, we missed lunch." Her stomach chose to growl at that moment.

"Your right, I'm hungry too. Shall we go?" I said while getting up.

"Dressed like that?" She asked.

"I might as well. I look good any way." We both had a good laugh at that while we exited the room.

* * *

Dinner was quite the event. Multiple people commented on how "cute" I looked, and by people I meant boys. I didn't mind it as much in the beginning; until Jade pointed out that they were shamelessly flirting with me. When Anise found out, she threw a fit because "no one should disrespect the Fon master". However, once it was publicly known that the "cute little greenette" was, indeed, the Fon master, I started receiving apologies instead of compliments. However, my pride still took a lot of damage from being mistaken as a girl.

Jade and Guy had a great time, if their uncontrollable laughter was anything to go by. Tear looked mildly amused, but was kind enough to try and hide it. Natalia joined Anise in "defending my honor", while Luke was by my side, reassuring me that I didn't look like a girl, but I still looked good in girls clothes. As little sense as that made, I still appreciated the effort. In the end, I had to come face to face with the horrifying truth that I did look like a girl, even without girl's clothes on, but it was still a pretty good day.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I probably should have put this in the beginning, but there are gonna be a couple of spoilers here and there. For example, replicas, side quests, and a secret mystic arte you get after beating the game. Also, I did not finish playing tales of the abyss. The reason why is because I think it helps me write this story a little better, so no spoilers, even though I think I spoiled most of the game for myself already.**

_{Chapter 6}_

"Ion, come on get up!" Anise shouted at me as she shook my shoulders roughly. I groaned and tried to hide my face in the covers.

"Come on, Ion! What about the mission?" Now that had me up rather quickly. I threw off my covers whilst muttering a quick apology to Anise for startling her, and then walked over to my bag to pick out my clothes. I had completely forgotten that today was the day that Anise, Luke, and I were going to go out today.

After the fiasco at dinner, Anise had come up with a new plan. She said that Luke and I need some time to talk, and spend some time together, since we rarely have the time. So, she suggested that we, meaning her, myself, and Luke, should go out together. We decided against asking him the next day since we needed to go supply shopping, and the day after that Luke was busy training with Guy, but Anise managed to ask him before he retired for the day.

So here we are, the last day before we leave Keterburg. Anise was already fully dressed and had breakfast waiting for me on the table. I gathered all of my clothes in my hands, and then made my way over to our joined bathroom to get ready. After I made myself decent, I sat down at the table and tried to eat my breakfast as fast as I could without choking.

"You don't have to rush. We're not late or anything." Anise said while fixing her hair in the mirror.

"I know, I'm just excited." I said as I took a sip of my glass of water. When we were both done, we cleaned up and headed out the door. We told Luke to meet us in the lobby, so that's where we were headed. Luke wasn't there when we arrived, which is to be expected since we were early, so we sat down on one of the couches and fiddled with Tokunaga to pass the time. We waited until we saw a familiar head of red hair coming towards us.

"Sorry I kept you two waiting. Are you ready to go?" Luke said. Anise stood up and started walking towards the door.

"Yeah! Come on, we don't have all day." She said while pushing the door open. Luke sighed and turned to grin at me. I smiled back and walked to the door while he followed suit.

Once we were all outside, Anise turned to both of us and grabbed our wrists.

"Let's go find something fun to do." She said as she pulled us along while she walked. Neither I nor Luke had any complaints; we didn't have any better ideas. We must have looked odd, because we were getting a lot of stares from the townsfolk, but I didn't really mind. I'm just glad to be spending some time with Luke.

Finally, Anise stopped in the town square. A couple of kids were having a snowball fight.

"Wow that looks like fun! You guys want to play?" She asked us.

"Nah, I'm not into stuff like that." Luke said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh yeah?" She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. I knew where this was going. Anise let go of Luke's wrist and pulled me over to the side. Then she walked over to the children, and had a quick conversation with them. Before I knew it, a barrage of snowballs came hurdling towards Luke. He was just as surprised as I was, so the snowballs made a direct hit. I immediately rushed over towards the red head and tried to brush the snow off of him.

"Luke, are you alright?" I asked, hoping he wasn't injured in any way.

"Those damn brats! I'll show them!" He said as he got up and bolted towards the laughing children. He grabbed a fist full of snow and tossed it at the nearest child. At that moment, the snow ball fight resumed with Anise and the girls on one side, and Luke and the boys on the other side. I really wasn't interested in getting pelted by snow, so I was about to make my way over to a bench and just watch, when I saw Mieu.

"Oh, hello, Mieu. I didn't see you there."I said. I felt bad; I didn't even notice the little cheagle. Well, Luke and Anise can be very distracting.

"That's okay. Not many people notice me. Not even master." The little cheagle looked sad as he said this. Now I really felt bad.

"Well, it's just us now. Do you want to do something together?" He brightened up after this.

"Um…well I saw two people making a snow man before. Can we do that?" He asked. I smiled at him.

"Of course we can. Let's go over there so we don't get hit, okay?" I said.

"Mieu!" We walked over to a fresh patch of snow and got to work. I honestly had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that you rolled the snow and then stacked it on top of each other. Oh well, at least Mieu was happy.

* * *

The day dragged on as we all played in the snow. Anise and Luke seemed to be having a lot of fun, even though Luke was so opposed to the idea. I was glad to see them getting along. Anise's animosity towards Luke seemed to be forgotten as they laughed and played together in the freezing snow. Speaking of freezing snow, I was getting cold. Rolling around snow was hard, especial when you're not accustomed to the climate or hard labor.

Mieu and I had managed to make the snow man's body and find some rocks for buttons, but a snow man has three parts, and I was tired from just making the bottom part. We sat on the bench to rest and used Mieu's fire to warm up a little. Once I was rested, I got back to work. This snow man wasn't going to build itself.

Hah! Another brat rightly pegged in the face. Brushing the snow off of myself, I turned just in time to get a face full of snow. Anise! I could still hear her cackles from across the field. I wiped the snow off of my face and prepared to strike, when I caught a glimpse of green hair. I noticed a while ago that Ion started making a snow man with Thing, but I thought he would have stopped already. It was really cold out, and I know that playing in the snow wasn't good for his health. I dropped the snow in my hand and jogged over to him. He was rolling a small ball of snow around when he turned to me.

"Hey, Luke, are you having fun?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm actually having a lot of fun. What about you two?" I asked him while crouching down beside him.

"We're having loads of fun, master! Right, Ion?" Thing said.

"Yes, we are." Ion replied. His peaceful smile still in place.

"But, aren't you cold? It's freezing out here?" I wrapped my hands around my arms and rubbed them for warmth.

"Oh, I don't mind all that much. I'm just glad to be able to spend time with my friends." Ion said. Even though he said he's fine, I still didn't believe it. Ion is kind of fragile. I started to unbutton my coat. Ion gave me a shocked expression, but I just grinned at him and shrugged of my jacket. Then I draped the coat over his shoulders and buttoned the first button to secure it.

"There, you'll be a lot warmer now." I said while standing up.

"B-but Luke, what about you?" He said shyly. I pated his head and started to walk away.

"You need it more than I do!" I shouted over my shoulder. He still looked hesitant, but nodded and yelled a quick thanks to me.

When I returned to the group, Anise pelted me with another snow ball. On my bare chest too!

"What happened to your shirt?" She asked. I scoffed at her.

"I'm too cool for a shirt." I replied. Unfortunately, that bad pun earned me a face full of snow, again. Damn it, Anise!

* * *

Today was really wonderful. The sun was setting and the snow ball war had finally ended. Anise and the girls had won the war, while Luke and the boys had a crushing defeat, but they all still had fun. Mieu and I had finished our snow man, although he was quite naked without a top hat or gloves. When Anise and Luke walked over to me, I handed Luke back his coat, which he gladly took with chattering teeth. I tried to apologize for hogging his coat, but he simply shook his head and ruffled my hair. Why does everybody do that? Moving on, we all decided to go out for some hot cocoa to warm up.

So, now here we are in a quaint little café. Luke had offered to treat us, and Anise had happily agreed.

"So, did you have fun?" Anise asked as she nursed a cup of hot cocoa. I looked over at Luke, who was standing at the counter and ordering cake for us, and sighed.

"It was really great, Anise. I'm glad we all went out together." I replied. She nodded and took a sip of her drink.

"You know, he's not half bad." I looked at her puzzled.

"Luke. He's not as bad as I thought." I nodded at her and took a sip of my own drink. The warm of the hot liquid thawing my body briefly reminded me of a certain red head and the affect he's had on my life. I closed my eyes and waited patiently for Luke to return.

**TBC**


End file.
